Page 69 of Nothing to Tell

Wedding day.Roxie’s wedding day was… “You got married in the Grand.”

“Yep.”

“Bastian’s hotel.”

“We paid for it… I think.I don’t see many bills or invoices these days… or for a lot of days.You know what?These billion-dollar guys have people for everything.Like everything.We even have a guy employed purely to switch the toilet roll before we run out.Billion-dollar guys know how to take care of people.”

It was one of those billion-dollar guys who’d put her in a mood.

“I can believe that,” she said.

“You have a problem with the money?Is that why it’s over?Because I have a lot of experience to share and stories to tell.”

“It’s not the money.I guess I just feel stupid.It was right there in my face and I—we met in one of his hotels and I had no idea he was him.My goddamn ex knew it before… I’m the first to admit I’m not always the most perceptive.It’s something I’ve had—it’s a spectrum thing my parents don’t like me to talk about.”

Since she was young, she remembered being told to be more like Adara.Her sister didn’t put that pressure on her.If anything, Adara did her a favor by giving her an example to follow.She mimicked her sister in social situations.Unfortunately, as they grew, they weren’t always together.At those times, Harper didn’t have an example on hand to follow.

Yes, her impulse control was never much attuned and she was often confused by practices others took for granted, but it was things like this that hurt her inside.She missed things.She didn’t pick up on social cues and said things she didn’t know she shouldn’t.Sometimes it was easier just to be quiet or wrong than to assert herself.

Roxie came around the desk to take both her hands.“Don’t ever apologize for who you are, Harper.Not to me, mine, or yours.And corny as it is, you’re in a safe space with me.At Crimson.With my guy.You’re part of our circle now.”

“I can’t do that to Bastian, he was your friend first.”

“We can be friends with people who used to date,” Roxie said.“Believe it or not, I’m a good mediator.”

“Oh, God, I would never want anyone to feel—”

“Okay, that was kind of a lie.Z’s a good mediator.He is also good at pointing me in a certain direction and telling me when to shoot.This is one of those situations.He keeps me sane… me and a whole helluva lot of other people.If it wasn’t for his distracting hotness, I’d send him to these come to Jesus things.”

Is that what she was doing?

“I should’ve known, shouldn’t I?As soon as Carolyn brought you to lunch…”

“Why?I’m not a billionaire.I wasn’t—forget that.”Her friend cleared her throat.“The money means nothing to you.”Roxie raised a gentle hand to her chin.“You’re upset because you think you don’t know him as well as you thought.”

“I don’t know him.And it doesn’t matter.I just—why would he do that?Fake date me?A man like him, he doesn’t…”

“A man like him is no different to any other man.”The strength in Roxie’s hand gave her head a little more height.“Your first mistake is thinking there’s anything different about him.Though with your guy, according to the world, the only thing different about him is his amazing need to take care of people.”

“Like me?Like charity?”

Roxie shook her head and smiled.“The things you told me about Bastian, about how you are together, I promise he doesn’t see you as charity.If he did, he’d have re-directed you to a Breckenridge.”Her frown showed she didn’t follow.“Never mind.Bastian was how he was with you, did what he did, because you brought it out in him.”

“A man like him doesn’t need someone like me in his life.”

“Really?”Roxie asked, her shoulders going back as she peered closer.“Doesn’t it then follow that Zairn doesn’t need someone like me in his life?”Oh, God, she’d insulted her.“I’m no different to you.Hell, I’m nowhere near as good as you.You run a business.All I did was read and send an invoice.”

She didn’t know Roxie’s history.Maybe that deserved another trip to Huddle Hunt.

“Zairn fell in love with you.”

“Because I gave him the chance to fall in love with me.”

“Bastian isn’t in love with me.”

“Who cares if it’s love, friendship, or a fling?If you’re done with him, you’re done with him.Life has to be allowed to unfold.”

“It’s too big.”